The shelling of peas and beans is a time consuming operation. In the usual kitchen situation, it is desired to extract the beans or peas whole from the pod without cutting or mashing them. The prior art teaches numerous devices for slicing beans and peas lengthwise and crosswise, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,288,639, 1,803,880, 1,795,231 and 2,010,22. The prior art does not teach a device for slitting the pod without damaging the beans or peas within.